Robins Union election redo Tuesday | News

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Members of the union that represents several thousand Robins employees can return to the ballot box Tuesday.

The national office said the local AFGE 987 needs to redo their November election, because of some ballots found in a trash can.

Robbie Tidwell won the November election, ousting nine-year-president Tom Scott.

About 900 union members voted, putting-in a clean slate of officers. No one from Scott's ticket was reelected.

Since then, Scott's team filed several complaints about voting irregularities.

The national office substantiated one, leading to the election redo.

Tidwell said he's optimistic voters will vote for candidates on his ticket again, Tuesday.

He said, "The unions have to change. We have to come into the 21st century. We have to work together more than ever. What is it going to take to make us successful? What is it going to take to make us thrive? Because everybody wants a paycheck. They want to come to work, do their job and have a paycheck. That's what were trying to do. Work together, really work together."

Tidwell's team appealed the decision to redo the election, but it was denied.

They also allege that Scott mishandled union funds, based on a recent outside report compiled by accounting firm Clifton, Lipford, Hardison and Parker.

And recently, Tidwell and his union officers filed police reports claiming Scott supporters vandalized their property and made death threats.